This new year 2022 was met by the fast-spreading scourge of the latest strain of the COVID-19 virus that originated in South Africa – the “omicron” variant – and has now done the rounds of almost all nations around the world. Estimates by the World Health Organization [WHO] are that some 19 million people worldwide have been infected by this variant, with some 48,000 deaths weekly as a result.
Alarmed, many nations have closed their borders to travelers to and from other countries where the incidence of this new variant has been reported. Lock-downs have also been enforced in some affected local areas. Needless to say, these have disadvantaged those who cannot travel and work, and the surge in new cases has taxed the health care system.
Although the symptoms arising from infection by the omicron variant are less severe than those of previous strains, omicron spreads at a faster rate. This is the most worrisome aspect of the variant, and some have died from it as well. Thus the present global omicron scare! Nations are trying to avoid it like, well, the plague!
Lessons learned?
Past plagues should be object lessons to learn from. But sadly, human nature seems reluctant or too dazed or too lazy to learn!
Take the example of the “Black Plague,” which decimated a good portion of Europe in the 1300s and later. People – even national leaders – were quick to place the blame for the plague on the Jews in their midst who were mostly spared from the plague.
Instead of learning from the hygienic practices of the Jews, many people blamed them for the deaths from the plague because of the unfounded belief, for one, that the Jews were poisoning the wells from which people were drawing water to drink! As a result, many Jews were persecuted and even killed.
[See: https://www.montana.edu/historybug/yusiniaessays/pariera-dinkins.ht.]
Some more-enlightened leaders, however, have pointed out that the unique customs and hygienic practices of the Jews had a lot to do with their being spared from the plague. The Jews’ meticulous rituals of frequent hand-washing and bathing were credited for their immunity from the plague. Jews also lived in ghettos, which isolated them from the general populace. In addition, the Jews strictly practice the food law of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. In fact, the Jews have overstretched that law by instituting their rigorous “kosher” laws. [See: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-kosher, and Did Christ Cleanse All Meats?]
If we look back to the very origin of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, the first cases were of those locals who had consumed bats and civet cats – both animals whose flesh is prohibited by divine law from being eaten by humans. From there the virus spread quickly worldwide. [See: Pandemic Pandemonium!]
“Health protocols” required by most government and business establishments include the use of face masks in public places, frequent hand-washing or disinfection, and “social distancing” or keeping oneself apart enough from others who might be carrying the virus, plus quarantining of persons exposed to the virus. And nations are in a race to get all or most of their citizens vaccinated against the virus. Some establishments that impose a “no vaccine/no travel or no work” policy on the citizens or employees are facing charges of human rights violation.
Human proclivity versus divine dictum
In the face of pandemics, the human tendency is to resort to treating the effects rather than getting at the cause. Medications, medical devices, and vaccines are the courts of first instance of anti-COVID measures. Yes, there should be no letup in stressing the routines of frequent hand-washing, bathing and general disinfection and isolation of persons suspected or known to be COVID-positive or carriers. If only the health practitioners’ knowledge of proper diet included God’s perfect dietary law, plus fresh fruits and veggies, and urged this on the citizenry, the people would have developed natural immunity that might obviate recourse to the controversial and expensive vaccines.
If only religious leaders taught this law and others of God’s laws that express love for God and for fellowmen, people would be so close to God that they can claim His promises to protect them from plagues (Psalm 91) and heal their diseases (Psalm 103:3; Exodus 15:26). [See: A Great Omission in Doing the “Great Commission.”]
That can save governments tons of money for economic development instead of treating the sick!
People would need not be scared of “omicron!” Omicron would be what it is –one of the smallest letters in the Greek alphabet. The least threat to mankind!
Pedro R. Meléndez, Jr.
23012022